Nothing works for Cass

November 22, 2005|FORREST MILLER Tribune Staff Writer

BRIDGMAN -- Everything Cassopolis had done well this season vanished Monday night. A 2-3 Watervliet zone defense restricted the Rangers to 21 percent shooting and dropped the Rangers out of the Class C girls basketball regional, 39-23. Wednesday night's regional championship game at 7 will be an all-Southwest Athletic Conference affair, with Watervliet (22-2) facing Gobles (15-9). Gobles was a 38-32 winner over Kalamazoo Christian in Monday's opening game. Wednesday's winner advances to a Class C quarterfinal game next Tuesday at Bangor. "We've already beaten them twice, and you know what they say about how tough it is to beat a team for the third time,'' said Watervliet coach Jim Winter. The Panthers dominated the rebounding. Katelyn Bryce and Sarah Sheffer scored 16 each. Rachel Sheffer scored six, but all three had a fun time setting up each other for lay-ups. Kelsey Gordon led Cass with nine, ending her high school career with 996 points. "Bryce hit some shots to get us going,'' said Winter. "That's the way it's been with this team, somebody different leads us every night. I know Cass was hold, but I think we made them cold. Our zone defense pushed them out of their comfort range. We knew from scouting them Saturday that we couldn't let them get the shots they did in that game.'' Quick lay-ups by Michelle James and DeeDee Hawkins gave Cass a 4-0 lead in the first minute, but Watervliet took charge with an 11-0 run. Cass took a 12-11 lead on a 3-point play by Gordon with 3:44 left in the second period. After a 13-13 tie, Watervliet took a 17-13 half-time lead, then scored the first seven of the third period for a 24-13 margin. Watervliet hit its first four shots of the third quarter; Cass missed its first four. A 17-6 third period scoring margin wrapped it up for the Panthers as Cass lost its poise as the game wore on. The Rangers were only 2-for-17 in the fourth period. "We just didn't get it done,'' said Cassopolis coach Floyd Foston. "With those two tall Sheffer girls we knew we would have to box out well, but didn't do that. We couldn't make shots inside and we didn't handle the zone well.''